India-UAE travel: Mumbai airport to be temporarily closed for 6 hours on Thursday

Mumbai: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai has announced a temporary six-hour closure of its runways tomorrow, May 8, 2025, for scheduled annual pre-monsoon maintenance.

The closure will be in effect from 11 am to 7 pm. During this period, the primary runway 09/27 and the secondary runway 14/32 will be non-operational, CSMIA shared on its X account. 

The temporary closure for planned maintenance is unrelated to the recent travel disruptions and flight cancellations stemming from the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.

CSMIA has stressed that this maintenance is a routine, proactive measure taken annually to ensure its operations' safety, efficiency, and reliability ahead of the monsoon season. The airport said it has “meticulously coordinated this scheduled activity with various stakeholders, including airlines and aviation authorities, to minimize disruption and facilitate a seamless experience for passengers.” 

The escalating tensions between India and Pakistan have led to the cancellation of nearly 600 flights, according to data from flight tracking service Flightradar24. The cancellations were reported after India carried out Operation Sindoor - “precision strikes” in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) early Wednesday morning.

In India, 430 cancellations have been recorded, representing 3 per cent of scheduled flights. Pakistan has seen a higher proportion of its air traffic affected, with 147 cancellations, accounting for 17 per cent of scheduled flights.